Zachary's in Santa Cruz

Zachary's is another legendary institution in Santa Cruz that locals converge on every weekend for breakfast or brunch. The restaurant has been serving up healthy, lip-smacking breakfast favorites for over 20 years in this rustic, century old building along downtown Pacific Ave.

Here's a place where locals - students, families, new-agers, surfer dudes come together to have a meal, to sample the fresh mixed fruit bowl, or the sourdough pancakes and the ever popular Mike's Mess, which comprises of a wicked combination of eggs, cheddar cheese, sour cream, potatoes, avocado, tomato, onions and mushrooms all scrambled into a glorious mess and served piping hot with a choice of breads. I'm not the neatest person in the world (neatness doesn't run in the family), but my breakfast meal has to have all the ingredients demarcated clearly on the plate - eggs must not mix with bacon, or the any of the sides, but today I went with the exception and chowed down on a full serving of the Mess.



Needless to say, Mike's Mess lives up to its messy but yummy reputation. Not only did it taste delicious, it was the only meal I had for the rest of the day. I think there was at least 1200 calories or more in that heap. I'd say it ranks right up there with the "Breakfast of Champions" item on the menu at Southern Kitchen in Los Gatos. I loved the warm chatty atmosphere, the communal setting and the simple but perfectly prepared food. You just can't ask for a better way to start a Sunday. The only caveat is that you should get there as early as possible, preferably before 9AM, otherwise be prepared for the wait, because Zachary's takes no reservations. They also don't have an espresso machine, keeping true to the old school breakfast diner experience.

Tanglewood in Santana Row

In many ways this Santana Row eatery has become my favorite hangout on the Row. Love the decor, the food and the service. Especially the weekend brunches. But tonight, I'm here for a late supper, and the usually crowded restaurant was empty. Most of the patrons had left for the evening, and so I felt like I had just walked into a new restaurant for the first time.

I like the fact that all the produce are sourced from local farm producers and the restaurant is a strong supporter of sustainable farming. Soups are always good here, as well as the appetizers. Also a favorite on the menu is the meatloaf, a generous and flavorful portion of meat served with side vegetables or mashed potatoes or fries. The garlic fries that comes with most dishes are one of the tastiest I've had in a while.

Brunch is another wonderful experience on weekends. There's a set menu consisting of typical breakfast dishes as well as an amazing french toast filled with fresh orange cream and drizzled with syrup, This, and fresh juice and a table by the sidewalk on a Saturday morning watching the world go by is how I love to spend my weekends.

Chapeau! in the Richmond district

One of my recent discoveries, Chapeau! has been a consistent favorite, and I've returned with friends several times for the cuisine, cosy atmosphere and excellent service. Not a date place typically, because of the noise level and cramped quarters (this little bistro really packs them in), but it's a great venue for group dinners or catching up with old friends. Located in a quiet corner of residential Richmond, it's far from most downtown restaurants and this makes parking a lot easier in the crowded city.


Tonight, we ordered the prix fixe menu, and started with a carrot and pumpkin soup drizzled with cream and croutons. This being early spring, the warm soup was a great way to start a meal on a chilly night. For the main, I had the pork loin over pumpkin puree and cabbage. It was served with an impeccable wine reduction, and the loin was perfectly roasted.


For dessert, I ordered the Chilled Orange Soup with Grand-Marnier, Souffle Glace, Tangerine Sorbet with Orange Segments and Coulis a la Menthe. That's it in the photo. Pure decadence, if you know what I mean.

Osteria in Palo Alto

A coworker recommended this little family run Italian bistro on a quiet corner off university Avenue in Palo Alto. Reservations were hard to come by, but we managed to snag a table at 8:30pm when we arrived. We told them we were first-timers and they were nice enough to give us a cozy corner with a table by the window. Food on the menu was unpretentious, home cooking - lasagne, ravioli, osso buco, accompanied by very reasonably priced wines and excellent huge servings of dessert like tiramisu. We had to rush through dinner, so I guess this mean's I'll be back again for a second experience someday soon.

Thea Mediterranean on Santana Row

I stumbled upon this place at a quiet corner of Santana Row some time back, but never got round to writing a blog entry until now. In some ways, the cuisine at Thea reminds me of Kokkari, another wonderful Greek establishment in San Francisco. But Thea brings modern Greek fine dining to suburban San jose, and does it with a lot of flair. As you enter the main entrance you are greeted by the high ceiling and the luxurious decor enveloping the restaurant in a Mediterranean island atmosphere.

Tonight, I we ordered the usual Saganaki Opai appetizer, a Greek cheese flamed with brandy and lemon right by the tableside. This is one dish you would want to order to impress your date or partner. The lemon juice imparts a zesty flavor to the aromatic cheese that melts in your mouth. Sometimes I'd go for the Soupa Avgolemono, a traditional Greek chicken soup flavored with lemon, egg and rice.


Seafood has always been very fresh at Thea, and one of my other favorite mains is the Garides - grilled large prawns in greek spices over zucchini cake and argula salad. If you want something more hearty, then the moussaka is the other favorite option that never fails to disappoint.

Unlike most San Jose restaurants, Thea stay open late, and even after 10:30pm, you can get a table by the bar and order drinks and some selected bar foods from the dinner menu. The cocktails are also expertly concocted by resident bartender Asia, who does a mean lychee martini.

The Perfect Brunch at Zuni Cafe

Ah, Zuni Cafe, my quintessential weekend brunch spot in the city. This beautiful, sun drenched cafe along Market Street has come to represent the best qualities of the San Francisco dining scene - fresh organic produce from local farmers dedicated to sustainable harvesting, simple yet tasteful seasonal menus paired with the freshest selections of oysters and crustaceans from the bay area. Local chef Judy Rodgers has made this quaint little corner establishment one of the city's popular dining spots, and have also published a cookbook containing all the signature dishes that made Zuni Cafe such a hit.

My friend David and I drove up from San Jose Saturday morning and headed to Zuni Cafe without a reservation. Sometimes, you do get lucky, and today, we did not have to wait more than five minutes. We were shown to a table in my favorite corner of the restaurant facing the street. I've tried almost all the popular dishes on the menu, but not the grilled porkloin, so that was my choice. David picked the signature caesar salad and minestrone soup. The dishes were perfect, as always, and evoked subtle nuances of Alice Water's Chez Panisse cooking. It's all about simplicity in the preparation, so that the naturally fresh ingredients are allowed to shine.



Today we decided to skip the fruits de mer, and save our appetites for an afternoon snack at the Hog Island Oyster Co. bistro in the Ferry Building. And so began our perfect Saturday afternoon in the city. If you ever come to Zuni Cafe, try the signature oven roasted chicken.

Breakfast at 35,000 ft

I realized it's been some time since I logged an entry, and suffice to say, I'm feeling a certain degree of angst and guilt over this. And just a moment ago, I suddenly had an urge to write a food review, but alas, being stuck on a plane doesn't make my attempt any easier. So I've decided to contribute this short commentary on the breakfast served during my flight from Singapore to Shanghai. As luck would have it, I'm flying first class on Singapore Airlines this morning, otherwise, the economy class version of this review would have been only 2 sentences long. Anyway, here are my thoughts on an American breakfast served at 35,000 ft above ground.


I was presented with a choice of a chinese dim sum set, a tortilla and salmon wrap, continental or American breakfast. I selected the American, just to see how the fresh scrambled eggs turned out over fine bone china. I started the meal service with Krug champagne (the Dom 1999 didn't seem that great), warm toasted cashews, followed by a plate of fresh fruits consisting of several types of tropical fruits and berries. My croissant was nicely toasted, and the delicious strawberry yogurt was served in a fine bone china bowl. My main entree consisted of grilled tomato and assorted wild mushrooms ragout, a spicy hashbrown, gammon ham and freshly scrambled eggs. Maybe it was the bone china, or the food presentation and the white linens, but I felt like I was sitting in a cafe in San Francisco having a very scrumptious morning breakfast, and the eggs were perfectly scrambled. I ended my meal on a high note with a cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and a biscotti. Afterwards, Kris, my sexy flight attendant came over to inform me that they would be happy to serve me the dim sum set as well prior to arrival. That made me think about doing a double review, but for now, I'm feeling rather satiated and ready for some shut eye before arriving in Shanghai early in the morning.